The present invention is generally related to fluid treatment systems and, more particularly, to a fluid manifold assembly.
Existing fluid treatment systems have a wide range of applications, including purification (e.g., particle removal) and conditioning (e.g., cooling or heating) of both gases and liquids, and use a variety of separate fluid-treatment components, such as filters, coalescers, adsorbers, and absorbers. To create a complete system, such components are typically mounted to a structural framework and connected to one another by way of various attaching elements, such as hoses, seals, and fasteners. For example, known systems are created by connecting a first fluid-treating component to a second fluid-treating component by way of a set of attaching elements, and then connecting the second fluid-treating component to a third fluid-treating component by way of another set of attaching elements, and so on. Fluid to be treated is then directed through the attached components and the intervening attaching elements to achieve a desired result.
However, multiple disadvantages exist for such systems. For systems requiring the use of a relatively large number of fluid-treating components, the linear attaching of fluid-treating components using multiple sets of attaching elements as described above creates a system requiring a large amount of operating space. In addition, each set of attaching elements required to couple two fluid-treating components represents an additional cost. Also, the use of multiple attaching element sets results in an increase of potential leak points in the system. Further, due to their linear nature, known systems do not facilitate easy exchanging or replacing of fluid-treating components.
Accordingly, the present invention advantageously provides a novel system for handling fluid in a manner that is reliable, compact, flexible, and inexpensive.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided manifold assembly including a unitary manifold body. The manifold body includes at least two component ports and an integral channel system connecting the component ports in series. At least two fluid-treating components are directly connected to the component ports in a substantially gas-tight manner.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fluid manifold including a manifold body. The manifold body has a first side including a plurality of component ports, each of which is configured to directly attach to a fluid-treating component in a substantially gas-tight manner. The manifold body also includes an integral channel system connecting each of the component ports in series, where the integral channel system is substantially arranged in a plane.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of handling fluid. The method includes connecting at least two fluid-treating components directly to a unitary manifold body. The manifold body includes a first side including at least two component ports configured to directly attach to the fluid-treating components in a substantially gas-tight manner. The manifold body also includes an integral channel system connecting each of the component ports in series. The method also includes directing a fluid through each of the fluid-treating components in series via the integral channel system.